Her Little Princess
by Amphryxia
Summary: Andy has become a spoiled brat, and Miranda wouldn't have it any other way.
1. Chapter 1

Andy sighed loudly and played on her new phone in a bored manner. She was lying on the sofa with her head resting in Miranda's lap. Every so often, Miranda would reach down and stroke her hair softly, but that wasn't enough for Andy. She wanted Miranda's full attention, and that was only going to happen when Miranda had finished her call.

"Make sure they send a different photographer tomorrow. I don't want to see the same one again. Those shots he took last time looked as if he was taking pictures of the fountain, and the models just happened to be in the frame." Miranda said in her usual light, but dismissive tone.

"I will leave them another message, Miranda." Emily answered at once, sounding just as high-strung as Andy remembered her being.

"That should be all for now. I'll call you again if I need you." Miranda declared simply, hanging up her phone before Emily could reply.

"Finally." Andy said, pouting slightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot that my little princess can't go more than a few minutes without my undivided attention." Miranda replied with a shake of her head, though her small smile spoiled her tone.

"As a matter of fact, I can't. You'll need to make it up to me somehow." Andy answered brattily, continuing to play on her phone.

"And how should I do that?" Miranda asked with interest, stroking Andy's hair once more.

Andy smiled and thought about what she should ask for. Miranda would give it to her if it was within her love's power. Miranda had quite a bit of sway all through the city, so Andy's main task was narrowing down what she wanted. The newest iPhone? Maybe when they came out with the next model, as Miranda had already given her the latest one. What about tickets to somewhere? That was an idea.

This whole thing had been quite awkward for Andy at first. 22 years of life experience had told her that being spoiled, selfish, and bratty was not something to aspire to. Yet that was what Miranda had wanted from her. Andy had been confused, thinking that Miranda wanted to establish a Sugar Mommy/Sugar Baby type of relationship, even though they'd been dating for months. Miranda actually did, kind of. Only it was much more involved than that.

Miranda had made a very interesting proposal to Andy at the sixth-month mark of their relationship. Her girlfriend wished to recapture some of the maternal feelings she'd had while raising her children. Miranda's twin girls had begun maturing beyond the point where baubles and trinkets could easily buy their delight. Miranda still loved them, of course, but she needed a new outlet for her feelings. That was where Andy came in.

Of course, there were a few strings attached. In exchange for these material perks, Andy would need to act as if she really was a child for the duration of their play. That meant living together with Miranda and surrendering most aspects of her freedom as an adult. Well, all aspects, really. Andy hadn't been wild about the suggestion, but it sounded as if Miranda really wanted to try it. So for two weeks, they had played at their very unique combination of being both girlfriends as well as pseudo-mother and pseudo-daughter.

Surprisingly, they had both taken to it well. Andy had a more difficult time with it, as suddenly being treated like a child subject to her mother's rules was obviously chaffing. Even harder was having to accept embarrassing punishments for breaking the rules, like being sent to her room or the occasional light spanking. Not that punishments like that came about too often. Miranda wanted her to be happy, after all.

Andy was happy, to tell the truth. However stifling it was to not have adult freedoms was more than equaled by not having adult responsibilities. Andy could sleep in every day (either in her room, or during the frequent occasions when she wanted to sleep together with Miranda) and walk into the kitchen, where Miranda would have left breakfast out for her. After that, Andy could do whatever she wanted, so long as she acted within the rules Miranda had set for her. She could go back to sleep, she could watch tv, she could read, she could play games on her phone, and she could even surf the internet, though Andy was stymied sometimes by the parental blocks Miranda had placed on her laptop and phone. She had no responsibilities at all. It was just like the summer vacations she remembered as a kid.

Whenever Miranda was home was when it became really fun, though. What Andy asked for, she got, whether it was getting pizza delivered, or a diamond bracelet, or just the chance to cuddle with Miranda on the sofa in front of the TV. Perhaps surprisingly, their attraction to each other did not lessen. It actually increased once they had both shed any awkwardness they might have felt at their age-play. Andy was particularly interested in making love to Miranda, eager as she was to please the woman who had shown such love to her.

When their two week trial period ended, both of them wanted to extend it. Two months passed rather quickly with neither of them wanting to end their lengthy game. Now it had been more than six months since Andy had kissed the trappings of adulthood goodbye. Andy was dimly aware that her driver's license had expired at the end of the year, and that her measly bank account had been closed, but she honestly didn't care. Miranda gave her everything she wanted and more.

Andy was becoming more and more child-like as time went on. But that was the idea, wasn't it? What was an act before was natural to her now. Over the last six months, Andy had become highly dependent on Miranda, and that was exactly the way they both wanted it. She loved being Miranda's "little princess" and even slipped up a few times (okay, more than a few) by calling Miranda "mom" and once, while she was half-asleep, "mommy".

Miranda took it in stride, as she did with most everything. Perhaps she hadn't been expecting their game to go this far, but if so, Miranda did not show it. Andy was grateful for that. Privately, Andy wasn't certain if she could go back to taking care of herself like before. She had become too used to Miranda doing everything for her. Plus, Andy had become well and truly spoiled by now. Which was why she felt no shame whatsoever at wheedling something out of Miranda for having the audacity to take a call during their alone time.

"How about...tickets to the Frozen musical next month?" Andy asked hopefully, looking up at Miranda.

"Those have all sold out, sweetheart. Months ago, even." Miranda answered reluctantly.

"I'm sure you can get two measly tickets. If you want me to forgive you, anyway." Andy said at once, playing up her brattiness.

"Two tickets? You want me to go as well?" Miranda asked softly, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course. You'll be taking me there. You should watch it with me too." Andy replied, sounding as if it that should have been obvious.

"Perhaps Emily can ask around." Miranda mused, sounding as if she was mostly talking to herself.

"Tell her the seats can't be too far in the back." Andy added quickly, knowing that Emily would try to take the first tickets she could get her hands on.

Miranda laughed softly and returned to stroking Andy's hair. Andy closed her eyes and smiled. It was so very comfortable to lie there with her head in Miranda's lap, knowing that Miranda would take care of her every need and want. Seeing the musical would be fun, of course, just like it was nice to have the absolute best phone on the market in her hands. But all of that paled in comparison to the feeling of being loved and cherished by the woman that she loved most in the world. Andy, as Miranda's little princess, was as happy as she had ever been in her life.

(So! Unlike my other stories, I wrote this without really knowing where I was going with it. Did I want it to be more sexual, like with my other stories, and if so, how sexual? Should I put in AB/DL themes? That would be entirely new territory for me, but I'd like to expand my reach. I wasn't certain, so I decided to end it a little early and seek out comments about where it should go. This is also my first dip into this particular fandom, and I'm still feeling it out.

Please tell me what you might want from a setup like this! I can't really continue the story without a little bit of guidance!)


	2. Rules are Rules!

Andy paced in front of the kitchen table in her lacy white dress, trying not to bite her nails. Her pink Mary Janes clacked on the hardwood floor with every step she took. Ordinarily, Andy wouldn't wear something like this around the house. But ever since she had gotten that text from Miranda earlier, Andy had decided to change into something that might put Miranda in a better mood when she got home.

Generally, the younger Andy dressed, the better Miranda liked it. This outfit certainly fit the bill. Even though the dress fit her perfectly, it looked more like something a flower girl might wear to a wedding. Andy had paired it with a pink sash, pure white stockings, her pink Mary Jane shoes, and a color-coordinated pink hairband. All in all, it was the perfect outfit for melting Miranda's heart as soon as she saw Andy in it. That was the idea, anyway.

Why didn't she have more patience? She could have just waited a little while. Half an hour ago, Andy had been frequenting a message board on her laptop devoted to one of the indie bands she liked to listen to occasionally. One of the other posters mentioned that the band was currently live-streaming a show and had even posted a link. Excited to watch it, Andy had clicked on the link only to discover that the site was blocked. Miranda's parental controls prevented the site (which to be fair, hosted all kinds of mature videos) from being seen by Andy.

Annoyed at this, Andy had surreptitiously googled "how to get past parental locks". She had even used the Incognito function. Unfortunately for her, a text from Miranda had come less than a minute later. Evidently, the software Miranda used had alerted her to Andy's stealthy attempt to get around it. Andy had looked down at the text with a clear sense of trepidation.

{I know what you did, sweetheart. I'll be home in half an hour.} -Miranda

The text had sent Andy into a minor panic. She had broken a rule. She was going to be punished. Andy had done her best to calm down afterward, telling herself that she was 22 years old, that the worst Miranda was going to do was spank her a little bit. But still, the months she had spent in this prolonged game had affected her mindset. The truth was, Andy was no less nervous than an actual little girl would be at the thought of a forthcoming spanking from her mother.

What could she do about it? Here was where Andy's intellectual maturity was helpful. She could take several steps that might lessen her punishment. The first thing to do would be to change into an outfit that would make Miranda smile no matter how mad she might be. That being done, Andy had sat down at the little desk in her room to compose an apology letter.

She took out a piece of paper, uncapped one of her pink glitter gel pens and began writing. Andy used her skill as a writer to come up with something eloquent at first, but after reading what she had written, Andy crumpled it up. That wasn't the way to go. Andy needed to write something childish and earnest. That would be a far better way to gain Miranda's sympathy. The words flowed easier than Andy might have thought, even as she cringed in embarrassment at what she was writing.

Andy intended to read the apology letter out loud to Miranda when she came home. With any luck, Andy, standing in her flower girl dress with age-appropriate accessories and reading out a hand-written apology, would be too adorable to spank. The experience would doubtlessly be mortifying, but when judged against going over Miranda's knee for a bare-bottomed spanking, it had to be the more preferable option.

Was there anything else she could do to put Miranda in a better mood? Miranda liked to have a drink as soon as she got home from the office. Andy wanted to have one ready for her, but that was impossible. Andy wasn't allowed to touch any alcohol. Various bottles of liquor were lined up on the kitchen counter, but Miranda had it clear to Andy that if she was ever caught drinking any, she'd be sorry.

The sound of the door opening made Andy's breath catch. There had plenty of times where, as her assistant, Andy had been nervous about Miranda's arrival. But none of those times compared to this. Clearly, Andy's recent dependency on Miranda had increased her emotional vulnerability.

Andy hurried out of the kitchen and into the hall to see Miranda closing the door to their apartment behind her. Miranda was wearing a black cashmere sweater with a long, matching skirt. Miranda took off her sunglasses, and her stern look softened as soon as she caught sight of Andy in her little girl's dress, stockings, and Mary Janes.

"W-Welcome home." Andy said nervously, stepping forward to give Miranda a hug.

"Thank you. You look very precious today, sweetheart. But don't think you can escape your punishment that easily." Miranda replied ruefully, hugging Andy back.

Andy nodded in a subdued manner, even as she knew she had one more card to play. Miranda set her purse down on the table and strode over to the sofa in the living room. They were getting right to it, it seemed. Andy hung back a little and picked up the letter she had written and placed previously on the table in the middle of the room.

"Can I read something to you first?" Andy asked quietly as Miranda sat down on the sofa.

"Of course, princess." Miranda answered after a moment, looking intrigued.

Andy held up the paper in front of her and fidgeted a bit before she started to read. Some of her immature fidgeting was for effect, but not all of it. Andy glanced at Miranda, and from the barely contained smile on Miranda's face, it was working.

"I know I broke rule number 4 and I am very, very sorry. I really wanted to see a band I liked play so I tried to find a way to see it. I should have waited for you to come home so I could ask permission. I will never, ever do it again, and I hope you can forgive me. P.S. I love you." Andy finished in a hopeful tone, having reasoned that a shorter, hopefully cuter letter would be the better way to go.

Miranda was silent for a moment. She then spread out her arms, clearly inviting Andy in for a hug on the sofa. Andy eagerly accepted the invitation and sank into Miranda's arms. Miranda kissed her forehead, leaving Andy feeling more relieved than before. Did her plan work?

"Of course I forgive you. And I believe you when you say you won't do it again. But rules are rules, sweetheart." Miranda said warmly, though at the end, she used her leverage to shift Andy over so that Andy found herself lying across Miranda's lap.

"But I thought-" Andy began sulkily, knowing what was about to happen.

"But you thought you could butter me up and avoid a spanking? It was a good try, princess, I'll give you that. I'll tell you what; because of your very cute apology, I'll let you keep your panties on." Miranda offered with amusement in her voice.

Andy burned with embarrassment as she felt Miranda pushing her skirt up and out of the way, exposing her lacy white panties. Miranda had known the whole time what Andy was up to! She had just allowed the whole thing to play out because Andy looked so cute during it. Andy was annoyed at how easily she had been played, and with her emotions solidly in control of her actions once more, she couldn't help but speak her mind.

"That's not fair! You should have told-" Andy began angrily, only to be silenced with a firm smack to her panty-clad bottom.

"Watch it, sweetie. One more word and I'll take back my offer. Is that what you want?" Miranda asked warningly, raising her hand once more.

Andy kept her mouth closed and said nothing more, the smack having reminded her who was truly in charge here. Andy shook her head quickly and wished she could apologize, but that would involve speaking, unfortunately.

Having secured Andy's meek submission, Miranda began spanking her in earnest, bringing her hand down with firm, no-nonsense smacks, and making certain that every inch of Andy's panty-clad butt was evenly covered. Andy began squirming from the stinging pain that was just beginning to build. Miranda wasn't spanking her terribly hard, but from previous experiences, she knew that even moderate smacks would be felt cumulatively on her increasingly tender butt.

"I was very disappointed to get that alert, princess. You know that parental block is there for your safety." Miranda stated calmly, continuing to spank Andy while she spoke.

"I know it is! I'm sorry." Andy said weakly, wincing at every smack that landed on her butt.

"You're sorry now, I'm sure. But would you be sorry if you hadn't gotten caught? I doubt it. Maybe we need to rethink some of your privileges from now on." Miranda mused, shaking her head.

"No! I'll be good!" Andy begged even as she squirmed in Miranda's lap, not particularly caring how humiliating this was if she was able to preserve her access to her laptop.

"Will you? I'd like to trust you, sweetie, but I don't know. Maybe we should get you a babysitter when I'm not here." Miranda said in a more teasing tone as she kept up the spanking, sounding less than serious.

Andy's eyes widened at the suggestion. Miranda had to be joking, right? She could not bear the idea of spending the daytime until the watchful eyes of a babysitter. Miranda was just teasing her, though. She had to be. Regardless, Andy needed to register her opposition to the idea.

"No! I absolutely do not need a babysitter!" Andy said shrilly, mortified at the thought.

"Hmm. I'll keep it in mind, princess. I don't see the need currently, but if you keep breaking the rules..." Miranda said, trailing off delicately even as the speed and motion of her hand was anything but.

"I won't! I swear!" Andy answered immediately, hopeful that she could head off the suggestion.

Andy kicked her feet uselessly as her spanking continued, her pink Mary Janes rising and falling on the sofa. The pain from her burning bottom was getting worse. Andy felt tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Her first thought was to resist crying, of course, but what would be the point? Maybe Miranda would take it easier on her if she did cry. With that in mind, Andy let the tears flow. That was probably a mistake. As soon as she began crying in earnest, Andy lost any grip she had on herself and starting babbling.

"Please! I've learned my lesson! I really have! Please, mommy!" Andy begged desperately, having only realized what she was saying after the fact.

Miranda ceased spanking her as soon as she heard that. Andy felt her cheeks becoming almost as red as her butt was. Had she really called Miranda mommy again? This time, she didn't even have the excuse of being half asleep. Andy had thought this couldn't get any more humiliating for her. Clearly, she had been wrong.

"It's okay, sweetheart. We're about done. You said you won't be breaking any more rules. Recite them then, please." Miranda instructed, sounding more kindly than before.

Andy sniffled a bit before responding. Recite the rules? She could do that. It would serve a reminder to herself not to break any more of them, actually. Andy took a moment to clear her throat before beginning her recitation.

"Yes mo-, erm, Miranda. 'I am to dress and act my agreed-upon age'." Andy stated weakly, starting with the first one.

"And which age is that?" Miranda asked lightly.

"10." Andy answered quickly.

"Hmm. I'm thinking 8 might be more accurate these days. But go on, please." Miranda mused quietly.

"Um, number 2 is 'I am not to leave the apartment without permission'. Number 3 is 'I am not to talk to strangers'. Number 4 is...'I am not to look at anything too mature for my age'." Andy recited, stopping as soon she reached the rule which she had broken.

"Hmm. Do we need to keep going?" Miranda asked softly.

Andy shook her head. There were more rules than that, about half a dozen more, but breaking rule number 4 was what had gotten her into hot water. Miranda lifted Andy from her lap and hugged her once again. Andy buried her face in Miranda's expensive cashmere sweater, aware that she was getting it wet with her lingering tears. Thankfully, Miranda didn't seem to mind.

"I love you. You know that, sweetie?" Miranda asked in a soft tone, hugging her tightly.

"Yes mo- erm, Miranda. I love you too." Andy answered after some slight hesitation, exasperated that she couldn't seem to stop herself from starting to say the M-word when she intended to say Miranda.

"You can call me mommy if you want, sweetie. I don't mind at all." Miranda said warmly, though with a trace of amusement.

"That just slipped out." Andy murmured, her cheeks reddening again.

"Well, if it slips out again, just remember that you don't have to feel embarrassed about it. I want you to be comfortable with saying what you feel." Miranda replied gently.

"Okay. I wish you'd want me to be comfortable sitting down, though." Andy replied just a touch sulkily, earning a small laugh from Miranda.

Andy did appreciate Miranda's offer. If she was being honest with herself, there was a small part of her that did indeed derive comfort from calling Miranda "mommy". Unfortunately, the embarrassment Andy was filled with whenever that word slipped out her mouth overwhelmed any comfort she might gain from doing so. Although, if Miranda didn't mind, what was there to really feel embarrassed about? It was something for Andy to consider.

Andy had stopped crying by now, but she hugged Miranda tightly nevertheless. As long as she was in Miranda's arms, the fierce heat from her recently-spanked bottom felt a little more distant.

A possibility occurred to Andy. Was this going to keep them from going to the Frozen musical next week? Not that it was set in stone to begin with. Emily hadn't yet gotten her hands on any tickets anyway. But Andy wanted to make sure.

"Are we still going to the Frozen musical?" Andy asked with a little bit of hesitation, not wanting to sound too bratty right now.

"I was planning to give you the good news when I got home today, but you distracted me, princess." Miranda replied ruefully, smiling at Andy.

"You mean...?" Andy asked breathlessly, her eyes wide.

"Emily got two tickets today for the first showing. Fifth row, center aisle." Miranda announced softly, clearly wanting to see Andy's delight at the news.

Andy let out a muted but nevertheless excited squeal and kissed Miranda, who kissed her back warmly. Such a blending of pseudo-familial love with sexual attraction might have seemed strange to some, but for both of them, it was entirely natural and right. Andy was happy for the opportunity to show Miranda how grateful she was, so they spent more than a minute kissing until Miranda gently broke it off to speak to her.

"I'm glad to see you're happy, princess. You should remember to thank Emily for getting the tickets, however. How about writing her a cute thank-you note?" Miranda proposed, having to catch her breath slightly.

Andy nodded at the suggestion, even as she was less than enthusiastic about it. Emily was well aware of the unusual nature of the relationship Andy had with Miranda. How could she not be, when half of the errands she had to run had to do with fulfilling Andy's numerous requests? It made Andy a little uncomfortable with dealing with Emily for obvious reasons, even though Miranda's 1st Assistant hadn't said a single unkind word to her recently. Probably because Emily was scared of it getting back to Miranda if she did. Regardless, Miranda wanted Andy to write Emily an adorable thank-you note using one of her brightly colored glitter gel pens. It would be embarrassing, of course, but Andy could do that.

After all, it was a small price to pay to get tickets to the musical every girl in New York City was dying to see. Even if most of those girls were only a third of Andy's age.


	3. Heading to the Musical

Andy flopped down on her tummy onto her soft, canopied bed. She was impatient for Miranda to come home. The Frozen musical was tonight, and Andy had gotten dressed up for the occasion. She had spurned the haute-couture dresses that were still in the back of her closet in favor of clothing that would fit her new mindset a little better, as well as meet Miranda's approval.

Andy had chosen a lacy white dress with a pink, rose-print covered sash on it. Despite its childish look, it fit Andy perfectly. She had paired the dress with pure white stockings and pink Mary Janes. It was...not something she would have voluntarily worn before she had agreed to take part in their ongoing game. But now that Miranda had gotten used to seeing her in dresses like these, attempting to wear something bolder and more mature invariably ended with Miranda sending Andy back to her room to change. The process would repeat itself until Miranda was satisfied that her little girl was dressed appropriately.

At least it was easy for Andy to know what to wear now: Any clothing Miranda had purchased for her was fine, while any clothing that Andy had bought for herself previously was unlikely to be. Having dressed herself, Andy fixed her hair in a simple ponytail, just like she had worn as a kid.

Had Miranda been here, she would be telling Andy not to be on top of the bed with her shoes on. She wasn't here now, though. Andy grinned and rolled over so that she was staring up at the lacy white canopy of her twin-sized bed. Andy almost never slept here, as she greatly preferred to sleep in Miranda's luxurious bed. Only when Andy was feeling resentful toward Miranda would she make use of the bed in her room, and only for a short while. These minor fights would inevitably end up with Andy getting lonely and showing up at Miranda's bedroom door, where she would always be warmly welcomed.

Miranda still maintained Andy's room regardless. As Miranda had said, it was important for a girl to have her own private space she could go to if she wished.

That reminded Andy. Miranda had encouraged her to restart some of the activities she had done as a child. One of which was writing in her diary. Andy reached out to the small table next to her bed and opened the drawer. Inside was the diary Miranda had bought for her. It had a cotton-candy pink cover and a large silver lock to prevent it from being opened without a key. Andy lifted her alarm clock and retrieved the key she had stashed there and used it to open her diary. Andy then picked up one of the many hot pink glitter gel pens that were scattered around her room and began to write.

"_I'm going to the Frozen musical tonight! Emily came through with the tickets, even though it took her forever. Miranda said that Emily had run herself ragged trying to get decent seats for us. The old Andy might have felt bad about that, but now? I don't really. I mean, it's her job, right? I'm glad she got them, at any rate. I wrote that thank you note that Miranda suggested. Is that enough? Maybe I'll ask her to give Emily a bonus or something._

_I hope Miranda likes my dress. I mean, of course, she will. She bought it for me, after all. I guess I'm more nervous about any looks I might get from other people. Mom will_ (Andy blinked in surprise and crossed this out quickly, feeling embarrassed) _Miranda will be with me, though. I don't need to worry about a thing. Well anyway, I'll write again when we get back from the musical. 3_"

Andy closed her diary, carefully locked it, and returned the key to where it was hidden. She did this even though she knew that the lock on the diary was really just for show. It would take someone about two seconds to force it open even without the key, but still, Andy made quite certain it was locked regardless. It made her feel like the private thoughts she had put to paper were more secure.

The first few times Andy had tried to write in her diary had been painfully awkward. She had forced herself to continue, however, and now it was something that she greatly enjoyed. Andy wrote in her diary at least once a day, and often she would write in it several times. Just like when she was a child, Andy had come to view her diary as a friend and a confidant. She would be devastated if anything were to happen to it.

Andy's iPhone chimed with the sound of a text. She put her diary back in the drawer and picked up her phone, knowing full well what the message was going to be before she read it.

_I'm running a little late, princess. Don't worry, we should have plenty of time before curtain call. Just be ready to head down to the lobby when I text you_. -Miranda

Andy pouted a little, unable to help herself. Andy knew full well that Miranda had a million things to do at work today, and that she should be grateful that Miranda was willing to leave the office early tonight for her sake. But that knowledge did little to cushion Andy's disappointment. She had been looking forward to spending an hour or so with Miranda before they headed off to see the musical together.

The spoiled, bratty side of Andy that had been inculcated over the last six months wanted to send Miranda a sulky, passive-aggressive text in response. Her fingers were already typing the opening words before she stopped them. No, that wouldn't be right. Miranda was doing her best. Andy just had to be patient. With that in mind, she rewrote the text and sent it before her emotions could get the better of her again.

_Okay, I understand. I'll be waiting. I love you_. -Andy

_I love you too, princess_. -Miranda

Andy smiled softly at the text. She loved it when Miranda called her a princess. Any embarrassment Andy might have felt about being referred to like that had long since been shed. Now it just made her feel warm inside.

What should she do for the next half hour, though? Maybe Andy could play with Miranda's voluminous makeup collection, though she would need to wash it off before she went downstairs. Andy's own makeup collection was nonexistent, as befitted her supposed age, but Miranda tolerated it if Andy poked around in hers. Just like Miranda was fine with Andy playing around in her wardrobe during the day. That was what little girls did with their mother's things, after all.

* * *

_I'm downstairs, sweetheart. Hurry down_. -Miranda

Andy read the text and got to her feet at once. She smoothed her white dress out and picked up her tiny purse. Small handbags were in these days, but most women would have found Andy's purse intolerably small. But all Andy had to carry was her phone, the keys to the apartment, and a credit card given to her by Miranda that was only to be used during emergencies. (Some minor confusion over what constituted an emergency had ended with Andy being grounded for a couple of days in the past, but now they were on the same page) There was nothing else for Andy to take with her, so she walked to the door and exited the apartment.

As Andy locked the door behind her, she realized this was the first time she had left the apartment without accompanying Miranda in a while. Andy could wander around in the city during the day so long as she requested and received permission, but lately, she hadn't bothered. The city felt rather cold and unfriendly now, and oftentimes Andy preferred to stay in Miranda's apartment where she knew she was perfectly safe. Miranda preferred it that way as well.

Andy headed to the elevator, part of her wishing that Miranda was holding her hand right now, and the other part chiding herself for being such a baby. The building had great security. Nothing was going to happen to her here. Andy touched the button and waited (fidgeting a bit, a childhood habit that had returned) until it arrived. Andy got it and pressed the button for the lobby.

The lobby was full of people, but Andy ignored them as best as she could. She quickly made her way to the doors at the other end. A doorman opened them for her, which made Andy smile. Idling outside the building was Miranda's gray Mercedes. Miranda's driver saw Andy coming and opened the back passenger door for her, just as the doorman had. Andy couldn't help but smile again. She really did feel like a princess at moments like these.

Miranda was in the back seat, talking on her phone. She was wearing a beautiful black dress with a dark violet coat over it. Miranda had dispensed with her sunglasses, of course, but she still had a number of accessories on, from her silver bracelet to her diamond earrings. As ever, Miranda was the picture of mature sophistication.

As soon as Andy got in the car, she slid over to Miranda and hugged her tightly. It didn't matter that Miranda's attention wasn't fully on her yet. Andy was just happy to be together with the woman who meant the most to her in the world. Miranda hugged her back and gave Andy's forehead a kiss before returning to her conversation.

"I'll need to see the new collection first thing tomorrow. We can't risk a repeat of November, can we?" Miranda asked rhetorically, looking out the window of the car as it pulled away from the curb.

"I think she might have a yoga appointment at 8, but I'll try-" Emily said, the nervousness in her tone evident even though Andy could barely hear her voice.

"Just tell Amy that if she's not ready when we need her, she'll be bumped for Cara. I guarantee she'll make the time." Miranda cut in firmly.

"Yes, Miranda. I'll tell her that." Emily replied at once.

"Good. Text me when she confirms." Miranda said coolly, ending the conversation.

Andy was happy about that. Sometimes Miranda's conversations could drag on interminably, every seemingly-resolved issue leading to another unresolved one. Andy could always play with her phone as she waited, of course, but she wanted Miranda's attention to be her as much as possible.

Miranda put down her phone and turned to look at Andy, who was still nestled against her. Andy pushed herself off of Miranda slightly, but just to get ready for their kiss. Recently, Andy had established a routine where they would kiss whenever Miranda left for work and whenever she returned. As ever, what Andy wanted, Andy got. Miranda kissed her warmly, and they spent almost a full minute in a close embrace, enjoying how complete the other's presence made them feel.

At least until Miranda's phone rang. Andy ended the kiss and gave Miranda a displeased look. She could see it now: both of them at the Frozen musical, with Miranda's attention on her phone the entire time.

"You're not going to be on that all night, are you?" Andy asked with a frown.

Miranda gave a slightly theatrical sigh and looked at her phone. She then swiped down on the screen, which Andy recognized as declining to answer the call. Miranda then raised the phone so that Andy could see the screen as she powered it off. Andy grinned and kissed Miranda once again. She was so lucky to have Miranda in her life.

"Okay, princess. Tell me about your day." Miranda directed as soon as Andy ended the kiss, leaning back in her seat and patting her lap.

Andy nodded and did as Miranda said. She lied down sideways on the seat and rested her head in Miranda's lap. This kind of bonding session was routine for them as well. After Miranda came home at night, she would take the time to hear about Andy's day. It didn't matter how trivial or ordinary Andy's activities were. Miranda loved to hear about them regardless. She would stroke Andy's hair as she listened and occasionally offered comments. Andy had felt a little embarrassed at first, but no longer. It felt wonderfully calming to open up to Miranda like that.

"Okay, well, the first thing I did when I woke up was check my Twitter feed. And I couldn't believe what Stephanie posted!" Andy said eagerly, feeling warm and safe in Miranda's lap as she always did.

"Ah. And what did Stephanie post?" Miranda prompted at once, slowly running her fingers through Andy's ponytail.

As Andy talked about her day, the driver slowly made his way toward their destination. Opening night for the Frozen musical was starting soon. As eager as Andy was to see it, she was most excited about Miranda being there to see it with her.


End file.
